Golf tips: Master delicate bunker shots

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Gary Alliss gives his advice on how to improve your execution of short sand shots

If you find yourself facing a short bunker shot, the natural adjustment I see many players make is to go down the grip without then making crucial further adjustments. However, this can actually harm your ability to escape successfully from the sand.

If you go down the grip, then take your address position, your posture will be different to normal as you'll end up bending too far over. This causes the club to work up and down on an overly steep path. It will then dig in at impact and the ball will fail to clear the lip.

It's a common scenario that can easily undermine your confidence. Remember that you need to find a shallow angle of attack when playing from the sand to get the most out of the bounce of your wedge.

Try this: Instead of trying to control the distance of the shot by swinging more softly, go down the grip a little, but crucially, remember to flex your knees more than usual. This will ensure your back is more upright and your swing plane is spot on for the correct shallow angle of attack.

It could just be the tip you have been loking for!

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In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.